The air in the room crackled as the two women glared at each other. Everyone else held their breath, watching and waiting. Ella moved swiftly to Esther’s side and put her arm around her waist. Laughing she said, ‘And milk a cow, put a pig away, to say nothing of driving a tractor, eh, Gran?’

‘There’s nowt to be ashamed of in being able to turn yar hand to a good day’s work, Missy.’

‘Oh, I’m not ashamed, Gran, I promise you. In fact, I’m quite proud of the fact.’

Esther’s glance swivelled and she was looking directly into Ella’s eyes, their faces so close. The defensive expression in Esther’s green eyes softened as she said, quietly now so that the others in the room scarcely heard, ‘Aye, lass, and I’m proud of you an’ all.’

Tears welled in Ella’s eyes, but before she could say any more, Mrs Trent’s voice came again. ‘It’s a little different from the job your father has in mind for you, Ella. If you won’t tell her, Philip, then I will. Ella, one of Philip’s friends is the managing director of quite a large company and he’s looking for a secretary. You’d have your own office. Now, what do you say to that, my dear?’ And Mrs Trent beamed as if she personally had created the job for her granddaughter.

Ella smiled, ‘It sounds wonderful, Grandmother, but—’

‘No “buts” Ella.’ Mrs Trent waved aside any obstacle. ‘Opportunities like that for someone of your age don’t come very often.’

Beneath her arm, still around Esther’s waist, Ella felt her gran stiffen, then she pulled away from Ella and went towards Jonathan, her wrinkled hands stretched out towards him.

It wasn’t until they were almost ready to leave just after six o’clock that her father drew Ella outside into the cool evening.

‘Dad, there’s something I ought to tell you . . .’

‘You don’t have to, my dear. You’re going to stay here, aren’t you?’

She looked up at him through the dusk. ‘How did you know?’

‘You belong here,’ he said simply and suddenly she knew it was the truth. Though she may have rebelled against it for years, refusing to acknowledge it, this was her home.

‘I’m not staying out of a sense of duty, only because I really want to.’

‘I know that.’ His arm was round her and his deep voice just above her head. ‘But you will come to see us whenever you can?’

‘Of course I will,’ she promised. ‘Whenever I can. I feel awfully guilty about all the money you must have spent on the bedroom for me and this marvellous job Grandmother says you’ve fixed up for me . . .’